Classic strawberry tart

Just like your mum used to make (or maybe even better), this old-school custardy tart is a strawberry-lover’s dream.
- byBetter Homes and Gardens

28 Jul
2016

Andre Martin

Prep: 40 Minutes-Cook: 35 Minutes-Easy-Serves 12

Recipes from Better Homes and Gardens & New Idea

Ingredients

• 150g plain flour

• 125g almond meal

• 75g icing sugar mixture, sifted, plus extra to dust

• 125g unsalted butter, chilled, diced

• 1 free-range egg yolk

• 1 Tbsp ice-cold water

• 300ml milk

• 60g caster sugar

• 2 free-range eggs

• 30g cornflour

• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways, seeds scraped

• ½ cup strawberry jam

• 500g strawberries, halved

Note: When choosing strawberries for this dessert, buy the smallest you can, as they're much easier to arrange.

Allow 1 hour chilling.

Method

Combine flour, almond meal, icing sugar and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add egg yolk and water, then pulse again until dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Grease base of 24cm loose fluted tart tin and line base with baking paper. Press dough into base and up sides, trimming overhanging edges. Put foil over dough and fill tin with baking beans or uncooked rice. Blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil, then bake for a further 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, to make custard filling, put milk and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cornflour and vanilla seeds. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture, before returning it all to saucepan. Simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes or until thickened.

Spoon jam into pastry base and spread evenly, then top with custard and spread to cover base. Set aside for 30 minutes or until cooled, then remove outer ring of tin. Arrange strawberries on top. Dust with extra icing sugar and serve immediately.